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They absolutely will see the work and issue a stop work order and the nightmare merry go round will begin. They are driving around endlessly looking for work without permits. Not interested in illegal apartments in the slightest, just pools, sheds, fences, dormers, garages, etc. That's where the revenues are.
Hi all,
Need some answers to this question if anyone knows. The quick version is this. My house is from 1925, pre CO's. So no CO on the house which I bought 2 years ago. There is a deck with no CO which mortgage company had sellers put money in escrow for me to get one. Went to town to see how to get one and they told me they have no record of the house so how could they give me a co for a deck on it. So I gave up money in escrow for deck co and never heard anything else about it.
Now I would like to build a detatched garage. There was a delapidated garage on the property but I took it down. (was just a place for neighborhood cats to live) That garage is on the tax bill.
What happens if I don't file for a permit. I will get plans for the garage and build it to code. 20 years from now who will tell me that it wasn't there when I bought the house the town has no record. As long as it is legal as far as its construction and I don't get ratted out I should be good. Right?
Call the town ( no name) and ask what the situation is with pre-code ( and pre-CO) homes is. Around where I live upstate, it is grandfathered and you can fix anything you need to and just do not change things like window sizes or add more living space... it is under "maintenance".
house by me did a dormer without a permit, they got pretty far before the stop work order came down. However, its off the beaten track.
I'm sure the OP is gone by now. but with his situation, if the garage was falling down, "repairing" it by rebuilding it...... you might be able to get away with.
I think a lot of people are turning in neighbors too....especially if they've done things the "right" way, paid for permits and then the increase in taxes, then it's not going to sit well to see someone trying to skirt the system. It really doesn't pay not to get a permit these days. I had a neighbor in NY, the village put her thru the ringer on several things when she renovated....now it's her mission in life to make everyone else miserable. She literally drives around town and calls in anything she sees amiss.
Someone in my neighborhood attempted to build an expansion to his house without getting a permit. He was discovered and was shut down by the Town of North Hempstead.
The place is an absolute eyesore, since it was stopped mid-construction and now there's just a bunch of huge tarps all over his roof. He has been saying that he's in the process of getting the permit but I am skeptical. The house has been in this condition for about a year.
How can I find out the real story, here? File a FOIL request with the Town to see the current state of his permit application (if there is one at all)?
Someone in my neighborhood attempted to build an expansion to his house without getting a permit. He was discovered and was shut down by the Town of North Hempstead.
The place is an absolute eyesore, since it was stopped mid-construction and now there's just a bunch of huge tarps all over his roof. He has been saying that he's in the process of getting the permit but I am skeptical. The house has been in this condition for about a year.
How can I find out the real story, here? File a FOIL request with the Town to see the current state of his permit application (if there is one at all)?
Thanks.
Here is the skinny on TONH. If he was shut down, he may have applied for a permit which means he needs to submit a survey and plans but the town will now review his entire file from soup to nuts. If he has even ONE item not filed for let's say he bought the house and closed on it with a central a/c on site and the town states there is no permit for the c/a. They will hold up the new permit until all "old" matters are resolved. Clearing up some of the "outstanding" (according to the TONH) permits can involve variances and lots of dollars, so it is possible. If he did other work without the permits filed I will bet you that is the problem. If that is the problem, then the real question is, is the neighbor doing anything about resolving the outstanding problems?
Here is the skinny on TONH. If he was shut down, he may have applied for a permit which means he needs to submit a survey and plans but the town will now review his entire file from soup to nuts. If he has even ONE item not filed for let's say he bought the house and closed on it with a central a/c on site and the town states there is no permit for the c/a. They will hold up the new permit until all "old" matters are resolved. Clearing up some of the "outstanding" (according to the TONH) permits can involve variances and lots of dollars, so it is possible. If he did other work without the permits filed I will bet you that is the problem. If that is the problem, then the real question is, is the neighbor doing anything about resolving the outstanding problems?
I see. Great explanation for what the long holdup can be attributable to. Thanks.
How can I find out the real story, here? File a FOIL request with the Town to see the current state of his permit application (if there is one at all)?
From what I've been told, this is public information. Stop by the office on Plandome Road and ask to look at the file for that property. I never requested to look at anyone else's file but was told I could've if I wanted to.
I see. Great explanation for what the long holdup can be attributable to. Thanks.
I will always try to FIRST, give the person the benefit of the doubt, more often than not I am wrong and my gut instinct was spot on but having the experience with the wonderful TONH myself, I know that is how they operate, so what I am saying is that it IS possible, probable could be another story.
From what I've been told, this is public information. Stop by the office on Plandome Road and ask to look at the file for that property. I never requested to look at anyone else's file but was told I could've if I wanted to.
By the way, what's a FOIL request?
Looks like you're right -- I can look at the file at the office. From TONH's website on building permits:
5) Q: Do I need to come in to get information? A: Yes, you need to come in and fill out a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) application. It is easy to fill out and takes only a few minutes.
6) Q: How long does it take to get a building file? A: A building file can be accessed immediately as long as it is available. If your file is not immediately available, a clerk will make arrangements to contact you when the file becomes available.
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